Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by BTVflatlander:

Fortunate to have gotten a liter of this new brew from Shelburne. I have long thought that Fiddlehead is Vermont's most underrated brewery as far as hoppy beers go, so I was anxious to try this one. And, at $10/2L, it's a pretty good deal considering its competition.

A: Cloudy yellow, very attractive and very unfiltered.

S: Bitter hops, smells more like an IPA than an APA, but hey, who's to say? The only distinct hop aroma I can pick up is bitter grapefruit. Not so much grapefruit like Heady Topper but, rather, more like grapefruit juice that is almost too bitter to stomach. Not bad, just different.

T: Much like the aroma, very bitter up front. A little grapefruit but more vague hoppiness. Pleasant.

M: Very good, supple and adequate.

O: My hope was that this would be better than the IPA, which it most definitely is. Is it perfect or even phenomenal? No. But it's another example of a great, fresh, unfiltered, hoppy beer from Shelburne that neither dents the checking account nor necessitates a wait in line to acquire. Try it if you can.

More User Reviews:

Just stopped by fiddlehead and had to try this new APA as I cant get enough of Amarillo hops. Pours a hazy pale golden amber color with a generous head. The smell is fantastic brimming with pungent citrussy grapefruit and tangerine. Taste is very smooth, full of citrussy grapefruit and tangerine and not all to bitter. Malt presence is minimal but balances very well- just as it should be. Nice mouthfeel, not too carbonated, not too bitter and lets the citrussy grapefruit rest on the pallet wonderfully. Overall this a fantastic representation of Amarillo hops and I strongly recommend this one to any lover of citrussy hops! Once again well done Fiddlehead!

Served in a mason jar, this was a slightly cloudy brew, copper color, with a fluffy white head that sank to a thin layer and held there; some specks of lacing on the glass, though I think the full effect was wasted on the mason jar. I really don't like drinking out of those things. The aroma was light and vegetal, pithy, but otherwise lacking the full citrusy notes that I'd expect from an Amarillo beer. Strong taste of ammonia, which was quite off-putting at first, but I gradually got accustomed to it, notes of celery, bitter, with a slight bready malt sweetness coming in near the end. Again, lacked any fresh citrusy goodness, and came off more like stale hops on a somewhat bland malt base. Light-medium body, moderate carbonation, fairly drinkable, despite the blast of ammonia up front. Maybe this beer was just beyond its prime, I don't know, but I wasn't interested in having any more than one.

Taste is even better that the tantalizing nose, with a very bright and lively finish: a really great take on what the juicy Amarillo hop is all about.

Mouthfeel is light medium, very crisp and snappy, beautifully dry.

Fiddlehead is still under the radar for quality Vermont beer, but all that will change once their cans hit the shelves soon. Stands toe to toe with HF single hop Amarillo with an even crisper finish and hop presence.